Read Online Letters to Julian (A Cupid Inc Novella) by Zayne Michaels - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Zayne Michaels
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freed, he disappeared down the sidewalk and around the corner, never once looking back or showing any fear that Ridley might turn on Julian.
“Wanker.”
“Ridley!” Grabbing him by the waist, Julian pushed him into the shadowy alcove created by the hedges on either side of the entrance to the Conservatory Garden. “You do realize you’re butt naked in the middle of Fifth Avenue, right?”
“Technically, love, I’m not on the street.”
“Yes, well, argue your technicalities to the police.” With his hands still on Ridley’s hips, Julian pressed closer to him, continuously glancing up and down the sidewalk for passing strangers. “Where are your clothes?”
Ridley tilted his head to the side, cursing when his temple connected with the gate. “In there.”
“Fine,” Julian huffed. “You know, I should just leave you here.”
“You should be mad at me, too.” Throwing Julian’s words from the restaurant back at him, Ridley grinned and dipped his head, bringing his lips a breath away from Julian’s. “Would you believe me if I told you I’m sorry?”
“Not even if you meant it,” Julian answered distractedly as he pulled away from Ridley and turned his back to him. “Okay, shift back.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It’s the only way we’re going to get you home without being arrested.” Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he pretended to tap at the screen, making him look more suspicious than if he’d just been standing there doing nothing. “Go on,” he demanded over his shoulder. “I’m freezing my bits off out here.”
Knowing how much trouble he’d caused for Julian, Ridley didn’t argue. He foresaw a lot of ass-kissing in his future, so he might as well start by being cooperative. It took a little longer to complete the transformation this time, but a few minutes later, he stretched his long, scaly neck out and nipped at the leg of Julian’s dress pants.
Unwinding his scarf from around his neck, Julian knelt beside him with a curious expression. “You’re so little,” he said with a dopey grin as though Ridley was a puppy instead of a dragon.
So, Ridley pushed up on his hind legs, leaned closer, and bit Julian on the finger. Serves you right, brat.
“Hey!” Julian jerked his hand back, but he was still grinning like an idiot. “What? You’re adorable,” he cooed.
Ridley bit him again, not hard enough to draw blood, but with enough force to make him yelp. Once he could talk again, they were going to have a long discussion about what constituted as cute and adorable. Ridley, as far as he was concerned, didn’t fit into the category.
“Okay, fine, fine. Let’s go.”
Much to Ridley’s humiliation, Julian swaddled him in the scarf and picked him up from the ground, cradling him in his arms like a newborn baby. Great gods, he was never going to live this down. He just hoped Bridget had gone home for the day.
Julian kept up a constant stream of babbling all the way to the bookstore, and he even sang Ridley a lullaby. I’m going to bite him again. At the front doors, Julian paused just long enough for an elderly lady to approach them and ask to see his “bundle of joy.”
“Uh, sorry,” Julian hedged. “He, uh, has syphilis.” Then he darted into the store, speed walking to the storage room at the back away from the windows. “Here we are.” Instead of unwrapping Ridley from the scarf first , he set him on the floor and then tried to untangle him, which only succeeded in pulling Ridley’s feet out from under him so that he crashed to the floor on his head. “Oops,” Julian mumbled, though he looked anything but apologetic. “Change back. We need to talk.”
More than one man had been struck down by fear from those four little words, and Ridley was no exception. Exhausted from the multiple shifts within such a short timeframe, it took him nearly ten minutes to complete the change this time. As soon as the shift was complete, though, he knelt on
“Wanker.”
“Ridley!” Grabbing him by the waist, Julian pushed him into the shadowy alcove created by the hedges on either side of the entrance to the Conservatory Garden. “You do realize you’re butt naked in the middle of Fifth Avenue, right?”
“Technically, love, I’m not on the street.”
“Yes, well, argue your technicalities to the police.” With his hands still on Ridley’s hips, Julian pressed closer to him, continuously glancing up and down the sidewalk for passing strangers. “Where are your clothes?”
Ridley tilted his head to the side, cursing when his temple connected with the gate. “In there.”
“Fine,” Julian huffed. “You know, I should just leave you here.”
“You should be mad at me, too.” Throwing Julian’s words from the restaurant back at him, Ridley grinned and dipped his head, bringing his lips a breath away from Julian’s. “Would you believe me if I told you I’m sorry?”
“Not even if you meant it,” Julian answered distractedly as he pulled away from Ridley and turned his back to him. “Okay, shift back.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. It’s the only way we’re going to get you home without being arrested.” Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he pretended to tap at the screen, making him look more suspicious than if he’d just been standing there doing nothing. “Go on,” he demanded over his shoulder. “I’m freezing my bits off out here.”
Knowing how much trouble he’d caused for Julian, Ridley didn’t argue. He foresaw a lot of ass-kissing in his future, so he might as well start by being cooperative. It took a little longer to complete the transformation this time, but a few minutes later, he stretched his long, scaly neck out and nipped at the leg of Julian’s dress pants.
Unwinding his scarf from around his neck, Julian knelt beside him with a curious expression. “You’re so little,” he said with a dopey grin as though Ridley was a puppy instead of a dragon.
So, Ridley pushed up on his hind legs, leaned closer, and bit Julian on the finger. Serves you right, brat.
“Hey!” Julian jerked his hand back, but he was still grinning like an idiot. “What? You’re adorable,” he cooed.
Ridley bit him again, not hard enough to draw blood, but with enough force to make him yelp. Once he could talk again, they were going to have a long discussion about what constituted as cute and adorable. Ridley, as far as he was concerned, didn’t fit into the category.
“Okay, fine, fine. Let’s go.”
Much to Ridley’s humiliation, Julian swaddled him in the scarf and picked him up from the ground, cradling him in his arms like a newborn baby. Great gods, he was never going to live this down. He just hoped Bridget had gone home for the day.
Julian kept up a constant stream of babbling all the way to the bookstore, and he even sang Ridley a lullaby. I’m going to bite him again. At the front doors, Julian paused just long enough for an elderly lady to approach them and ask to see his “bundle of joy.”
“Uh, sorry,” Julian hedged. “He, uh, has syphilis.” Then he darted into the store, speed walking to the storage room at the back away from the windows. “Here we are.” Instead of unwrapping Ridley from the scarf first , he set him on the floor and then tried to untangle him, which only succeeded in pulling Ridley’s feet out from under him so that he crashed to the floor on his head. “Oops,” Julian mumbled, though he looked anything but apologetic. “Change back. We need to talk.”
More than one man had been struck down by fear from those four little words, and Ridley was no exception. Exhausted from the multiple shifts within such a short timeframe, it took him nearly ten minutes to complete the change this time. As soon as the shift was complete, though, he knelt on
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